1. Field of the Invention
The present invention deals with the composition, and application of novel alkoxylated ether containing lactam compounds, useful as surface active agents. Compounds of this invention have emulsification, wetting, softening, anti-tangle, conditioning, ability to complex and solubilization properties. The presence of ethylene and propylene oxide in the molecule backbone results in an inverse cloud point. This property allows the formulator to get minimum solubility and maximum substantivity at higher use temperatures, and more solubility and lesser substantivity at lower temperature.
2. Description of the Art Practices
The reaction of aliphatic primary amines with butyrolactone is well known to those skilled in the art and is disclosed in various pulbications and a series of patents by Rajadhyaksha, including U.S. Pat. No. 4,423,040 issued Dec. 27, 1983, which teaches that 1-substituted azacyclohexan-2-ones can be prepared and used as physiologically active agents. Related patents to Rajadhyaksha include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,525,199; 4,461,638; 4,444,762; 4,562,075; 4,316,893; 4,122,170; 4,405,616; and 4,415,563. Since there are no ether nor alkoxylate groups in the disclosed compounds, none of the referenced patents teach the compounds of the present invention.
Lower alkyl pyrrolidones have found applications as low toxicity aprotic solvents. However the absence of a hydrophobe on the molecule make the lower alkyl products non-surface active.